Her Bad Mother started another trend: people showing on their blogs what they carry in their purses (or handbags, or pocketbooks, obviously people feel strongly about the different names, only I don’t, sorry). Since I’m a very nosy person and do find these glimpses into other people’s lives very fascinating I took a moment to photograph my purse. (In fact this is a “Handtasche”, silly.) The search for this bag, by the way, started my whole new bag obsession complete with sewing them and buying getting other people to give me a new sewing machine:
These are just the basics. I can slim down but I don’t like to.
There are:
- keys to everything on a flylady lanyard
- hay fever remedy
- sunglasses (they live in an outside pocket so I don’t need a case for them)
- shopping list for the health food store from yesterday
- case with earplugs (for concerts and such; they are especially made to mute without distorting the sound much. When I wear them I look like an alien because they stick out of my ears.)
- pouch with earphones for PDA
- reusable grocery bag (made following Lisa’s tutorial)
- PDA
- cell phone
- tissues (very important for people suffering from hay fever, or people with children)
- another little bag for impromptu grocery shopping
- little notebook
- string that I used to tie a plastic cover to a bowl of salad for the preschool’s summer party (I carried that around for four weeks. But who knows it might come in handy.)
- and what HBM called a “sub-bag” (I love that name.) This holds small items for easier transfer to other bags. (Which happens about twice a week.)
Interestingly my wallet is not in the picture. That is quite puzzling because it’s always in my purse. So imagine a very big, blue, old wallet that holds all credit cards, business cards, old receipts, money, and my enormous German driver’s license and ID. (I suspect it sat left of the grocery bag.)
Contents of “sub-bag”:
- mints
- tampons (not that I use them any more but I don’t want to carry the mooncup around for emergencies. Also you can give them to other women in need.)
- barrettes and hair scroos
- pocket mirror
- pocket knife (with scissors and tweezers but unfortunately without cork screw or bottle opener, sigh)
- pen that writes with green ink for things like writing group assignments
- little suction cup for getting contact lenses out
- eye drops (contact lens paraphernalia again)
- hair elastic (I don’t know why I keep two of them in there.)
- flashlight
- comb
- pencil and pen for regular use
- fancy glossy orange lipstick
- everyday terracotta lipstick
- lip balm
When I leave the house longer than half an hour I put into my purse an additional notebook (much bigger), and a book, sometimes a little knitting or crotcheting, sometimes also a pack of tarot cards, and the foldable keyboard for my PDA. And my bag is big enough to also pack some water and a cardigan. (When we went away for the weekend when the new Harry Potter came out, I put that into my purse, a map, the camera, and the PDA charger.)
What’s in your bag?
I am definitely not doing this one.
I still have the purse I hate, although I did look at a few in the store yesterday to get a clear idea about features I like/dislike and at some very helpful books in the book store for making my own bag. I haven’t made it to the fabric store yet.
And other than my debit card, library card, pen and little noteboook, nothing in there is too important. The main thing this reveals about me is that I am inextricably tied to my car, which is where I keep my purse and everything else I might need.
I think i’ll do this soon. I have no idea why, but it’s fascinating to read about.
Yeah I loved this one, and looking at your bag, I realize I carry entirely too much crap in mine…
What a cool bag. And so neat. I love the idea of a sub-bag
I did have a moment of oh my god was that the tampon words my eyes just flew past?
My relief was great when I realized that they were left overs.
My bag is big enough to sneak a not-bought-at-the-cinema soda into the movie house. Two actually – one for me and one for Florian.
But no way am I taking photos of the weird fluffy bits at the bottom mixed with bits of dried herb and something else. I’m not sure what it was in a previous life.
You care the girl to know in a crisis. I flick from bag to bag to bag and carry hardly anything at all which basically means i am always asking to borrow stuff. Aren’t you glad you dont live near me!!!!!!!
Am i the only person who cannot get on with a mooncup?????
Well done with the grocery bag by the way
First, I love your bag (not the bag within the bag, the bag without!).
Second, are “scroos” German for “scrunchies”?
Now that’s a word that doesn’t work too well in English!
I love those hair scroos. It’s been a long time since I’ve had long hair, so I’d have nothing to do with them, but they’re cool. I don’t think I’ve seen them here.
De, the thought of being tied to my car is very alien to me. So I have to carry it all with me. If I leave the house which I’m not doing very often. And I realized that there is nothing child-related in that bag. Not even a picture of him.
Meno, I find it totally fascinating. I think it’s the child in me that wants to go through other people’s bags.
Flutter, you even carry more than I?
Hel, I was surprised how neat it is myself. But since I switch bags quite often all the old receipts and stuff get unloaded then. And my bag can hold two sodas ans maybe some popcorn and a sweater. It only looks small.
Joanna, I found the mooncup took a little to get used to, but now I’m quite good with it. There were a couple of times when I was afraid I’d never get it out again, for instance, and then some times when I was afraid it would fall out. But now I’m really happy with it.
You’re clearly in need of a “sub-bag”.
Slouching, “hair scroo” is a brand name. They exist in the US too, I have googled them. They are the spirally things out of metal. They are great for making a French twist, and the only thing that let’s my very thin hair stay up. (And the name is ugly. It’s fitting because you actually screw them into your hair.)
Sage, I don’t even know if they are still available in Germany. I’ve had mine for more than ten years.
Susanne,
Great to find your blog. Wish I’d met you at blogher in July. Maybe next year. I like your purse story and photo. I’ve not taken a photo of my handbag’s contents, but have photographed another woman’s bag contents for a story I wrote about her. Fasinating what we carry around with us.
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